


Blue Monday

by cheinsaw



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-03 02:09:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11522319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheinsaw/pseuds/cheinsaw
Summary: [SPOILERS FOR ALL OF MAKI'S FREE TIMES + CHAPTER 2]Maki comes home upset. Kaede helps.





	Blue Monday

**Author's Note:**

> this is the 1000th fic in the v3 tag lol
> 
> also, this is in the same au canon as the haircut fic

Kaede is most at home at her piano. No matter what's going on, she can relax there, fingers gliding across the keys as she makes the piano sing sweet. Lately she's been practicing Chopin's nocturnes, because they're calming and pair well with the rainy weather they've been having.

She's in the middle of imagining herself as the piano player in a midcentury French cafe when she hears a key turn in her apartment door, and her fingers falter.

A second later, Maki bursts in, face pained and eyes hard. She kicks off her shoes and leans her dripping umbrella by the door, but the motions look forced and hollow.

"Welcome back... Maki?"

Maki says nothing, just briskly walks over to Kaede's piano and collapses at the bench. To Kaede's surprise, Maki's arms wrap around her tightly, pulling her close as if to make sure she's still real.

"Umm... Maki? Are you okay?"

Maki is silent as she holds Kaede. It's worrying, Maki initiating this much contact so suddenly, especially with no explanation. Kaede slowly reaches up to hug Maki back, half-expecting her to jump away at the touch. But she doesn't.

"Is everything alright?" Kaede asks quietly.

There's a long pause. "It's nothing," Maki says finally.

"It wouldn't be nothing if it made you this upset... Did you have a bad session, or—"

"Kaede. I don't want to talk about it," Maki says firmly, releasing Kaede from her embrace.

Kaede frowns and bites her lip. She knows that finally going to therapy after years of repressing her childhood trauma has been hard on Maki. Kaede worries to no end, but Maki remains insistent that it's _a pain, but good to get it all out._

Sighing, Maki gets up from the piano bench and heads towards the apartment's small kitchenette. Kaede watches as she opens the fridge, surveys the contents, shuts it again, and finally sits down at Kaede's kitchen table and lays her head on the surface.

"Do you want me to make you some food?" Kaede says.

Maki huffs. "Sure."

Kaede hasn't been grocery shopping in at least five days, but she's sure she can pull something together. Maki likes simple dishes, after all. An examination of her fridge, freezer, and cupboards leads to Kaede defrosting a chicken breast in the microwave while she waits for a pot of water to boil. She can feel Maki's eyes on her as she prepares the food, but rather than being unsettling (as others have described Maki's gaze), it's something of a comfort.

As she's chopping up the now-defrosted chicken, Maki's suddenly at her side. "I'll help," she says.

"Okay! I was going to make stir fry. We just need to put the noodles in the pot for now, and then chop up the onion."

Maki does as instructed. The kitchen space is small, but they make it work. Soon the room is filled with the smell of frying meat and vegetables, and not long after, Kaede sets two bowls of hot food on the table.

They eat in near-silence, but that's alright with Kaede. Maki looks comfortable, at least, inhaling the food they made together. It's so domestic that it brings a little smile to Kaede's face. (Not for the first time, she wonders what it'd be like to live with Maki.)

"Sorry if I worried you," Maki says once she's all but finished her bowl of noodles. "It's stupid, but I'm fine now."

"What happened? I mean, you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to, but... I want to help, you know?"

Maki twirls her chopsticks around in her bowl. "Don't freak out." That could mean anything, but Kaede trusts Maki, so she tries to quell her anxiety. "I just needed to make sure you were still here."

"Umm... What?"

"I told you it was stupid," Maki says plainly.

"Oh, no, I don't think it's stupid, I just… don't understand."

Maki sighs, twirling her chopsticks faster and refusing to look up. "It's nothing. Just forget about it."

Kaede knows by now not to push, despite her worries. Maki will tell her when she's ready.

It turns out to be sooner than Kaede had expected, in fact. After they've cleaned their dishes, Maki curls up on Kaede's couch to read while Kaede returns to her piano. The sound of the rain pattering against the windows doesn't let up, and as the sky grows darker with the coming of night Kaede leaves her piano in favor of sitting on the couch, right by Maki's side.

"Are you staying over tonight?"

Maki sighs and puts her book down. "I guess."

"It's up to you. I just wouldn't want to go home in this weather if I were you. ...And I like having you here."

"Yeah."

"Is that a yes, then?"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Maki says, but there's no bitterness in her voice.

Kaede changes into pajamas while Maki brushes her teeth, then they switch. Maki stays over often enough that she keeps a spare toothbrush and at least one set of clothes at Kaede's apartment. When Kaede returns from the bathroom Maki has already gotten underneath the covers of Kaede's bed, and Kaede's heart swells with affection. Maki seems comfortable, at least, which is an improvement over her behavior from earlier in the evening.

"Did you want to cuddle a little before we go to sleep?"

"...Sure."

Kaede scoots herself closer to Maki, tentatively reaching out to drape her arm over Maki's waist. Maki shifts to close the space between them, awkwardly slipping an arm around Kaede and tucking her head in the space between Kaede's neck and chest. Gently, Kaede begins to trace circles and meaningless patterns against Maki's back.

"Are you feeling better?"

Maki tenses at the question, and Kaede instantly panics. She's made a mistake. But Maki takes a deep breath, sighs, and says, "Yeah. ...Thank you."

"I worry about you a lot," Kaede murmurs.

"Yeah," Maki repeats. "I just... I don't want you to die."

Chills run down Kaede's back despite Maki's warmth. "Uh, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon," she tries. She has absolutely _no_ idea how she's supposed to respond to something like that.

"I know. I'm not an idiot." Maki pulls back from their embrace so she and Kaede can look each other in the eye.

"Then what—"

"The last time I let someone in I was forced to kill her," Maki says bluntly.

"What?" Kaede breathes.

"You wanted to know."

"That's why you're—Maki, I'm so sorry, I wish I'd—"

"There's nothing you can do. She's been dead for probably seven years." Maki's face is hard and steely, her eyes distant. "My therapist made me talk about her today. That's all."

"I'm sorry," Kaede says softly, because it's the only thing she can think of.

"Don't be."

"You're not in any danger anymore, right?" Kaede reminds her.

Maki sighs. "No. I don't think so, at least. It's just... You're the only person I've ever been this close to besides her, so... you know."

"I'm not going anywhere," Kaede says. "I promise." Maki makes a quiet noise that sounds like agreement. "Do you want to tell me about her? Will that help?"

"No." Maki's answer is immediate and firm. "Just... just stay with me."

"I can do that," Kaede says, reaching for Maki's hand. As their fingers intertwine Kaede gives a gentle squeeze, which Maki returns.

Maki doesn't say anything more, and after several minutes Kaede's sure she's either fallen asleep or is close to it. No matter. Kaede gently loosens her hand from Maki's and leans over to turn off her bedside lamp.

"I love you," Kaede murmurs softly.

Kaede lets the sound of the rain and Maki's quiet breathing lull her to sleep. And in the darkness, everything is still.


End file.
